BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Don’t expect to see the beloved film version of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” translated into Broadway drama at the Cort Theater.

Instead, Richard Greenberg’s new stage adaptation traces Truman Capote’s original story in which Fred, the more or less gay narrator, isn’t interested in Holly Golightly except as a bewitching friend.

Well, so much for a romantic comedy. No “Moon River,” either.

Opening on Wednesday, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” serves out a wistful tale set in 1940s Manhattan, where a would-be writer gets chummy for a while with a charmingly wacky girl until she gets into a jam and skips town.

In spite of Greenberg’s respectful text – which utilizes plenty of Capote’s beautifully-written prose -- and director Sean Mathias’ impressionist evocation of the city, the meandering two-act play does not satisfy. Wistful and whimsical are all very well for a while, but they are not dynamic moods and so the drama tends to drift.

This muted, episodic chronicle of Holly Golightly’s butterfly times turns out to be mostly a listless endeavor that is busy but never really blazes into life. 

Emilia Clarke, a star of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” series, at least makes a graceful impression as Holly.

A creamy-faced brunette whose demure looks recall early Gloria Vanderbilt, Clarke gives Holly an amusingly affected accent that mixes Mayfair and Mississippi.  Fetching at all times in designer Colleen Atwood’s period attire, Clarke offers lively company if little vulnerability as the free-spirited Holly. The gauzy character, a country hick who has reinvented herself as a madcap, possesses an intriguingly enigmatic quality that does not translate from page to stage in spite of Clarke’s appeal.

A lanky, boyish Cory Michael Smith is likeable as the narrator even though he and Clarke evince little mutual chemistry. Their brief nude scene together in a claw-foot bathtub seems unnecessary.

It is comforting to see a number of familiar New York faces among the first-rate supporting players, including George Wendt as a forlorn bartender, Lee Wilkof as a Hollywood agent, Suzanne Bertish as an eccentric neighbor and both John Rothman and Eddie Korbich in several roles. Murphy Guyer quietly portrays a fatherly figure from Holly’s past. Tony Torn vividly plays a creepy millionaire.

An orange-and-white creampuff feline named Vito Vincent looks fine as Cat.

Mathias and his designers conjure up a bluesy, rather autumnal evocation of 1940s Manhattan. Sepia-shaded backdrops of misty cityscapes are projected on floating panels that frame insets of locations like Holly’s apartment and a neighborhood tavern.  These environs, designed by Derek McLane (set), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting) and Wendall K. Harrington (projections), fluently accommodate the play’s needs but only further the production’s melancholy mood.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” continues at the Cort Theater, 138 W. 48th St., New York. Call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.breakfastattiffanysonbroadway.com. ENDIT